Chapter One

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Was I dreaming? The brightness of the sun was near blinding, its energising rays bathing my body in a pleasant warmth. Something felt different. I was lying face down, the grainy texture of sand underneath my palms, the loud yet calming crash of waves in my ears and the oddly pleasant smell of sea salt in my nose. This had to be a dream. The last thing I remembered was drifting off to sleep on the plane, vivid images of the Galapagos Islands imprinted in my mind. But it felt so real. As I slowly hauled myself up, I took in more of surroundings. Clear blue sky, not a speck of cloud in sight stretched far beyond the horizon. Inviting azure sea, twinkling in the dazzling sunlight and frothy sea foam, crashing at my feet, refreshingly cool. My next instinct was to look for other people. My eyes scanned the seemingly endless white sandy beach, looking for the familiar faces of my peers. Not another soul was to be seen or heard. Not Scarlett’s enthusiastic, curious ramblings or Brandon’s quiet, careful observations. I was certainly dressed for the occasion; a pair of dark green shorts, a white tank top, leather hiking boots and a straw sun hat. Around my neck was a golden necklace, a sea turtle charm attached; a memento from my grandma Ivy. I grasped hold of the charm, sighing ruefully as I tried to forget last month. My back pack lay only a few inches away from me. I unzipped it, checking its content. My wallet, factor fifty sun cream, my mobile, my passport, my lunch (which I never got around to eating), a bottle of water, a pocket sized Spanish dictionary, a book to read on the plane, a compass, a notebook and pen and a file, full of the various forms of research I had done on the local flora and fauna, the studies of Charles Darwin ...

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...as never terribly good at it. If only Scarlett were with me. She was a former scout and could do all sorts of things I could not, like building tents and cooking without a stove or an oven. I wanted to give up. I just wanted to go back to sleep and let the ocean carry me away. Even a lifetime of secondary school would be less terrifying than what I was faced with.
No. You have to be strong. You have to save them. I said to myself as I dried my eyes and stood up. Trying to stop myself from trembling, I slung my pack over my shoulders, collected the message, placed it in my notebook and breathed deeply. I had to do it. Everyone was counting on me, students and professors alike. To leave them behind would be selfish and unforgivable. Gritting my teeth I stepped forwards, ready to embark on my journey. There was one thing I was aware of. There was no turning back.

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